persuades

Persuades is the third-person singular present tense of the verb persuade. In general usage, to persuade someone is to cause them to do something or come to believe something through argument, appeal, or reasoning rather than through force. The term is often used in contexts where influence is voluntary and aimed at changing beliefs, attitudes, or actions.

Grammar and usage: Persuades is transitive, requiring a direct object such as a person or a proposition. Common constructions include persuade someone to do something, persuade someone that something is true, or persuade someone of something. The related noun is persuasion. The adjective persuasive describes something that tends to persuade. The form varies with tense and subject, for example, I persuade, you persuade, he persuades, we persuade, they persuade, or I am persuading.

Techniques and mechanisms: Persuasion relies on a combination of rational argument (logos), emotional appeal (pathos), and perceived credibility or authority (ethos). Effective persuasion often employs clear goals, evidence, credible sources, framing, storytelling, and social cues such as endorsement or social proof. It may also exploit cognitive biases or negotiation tactics, though ethical use emphasizes transparency and consent.

Contexts and ethics: Persuasion appears in advertising, political discourse, sales, negotiations, and everyday interpersonal communication. It raises ethical questions when it relies on deception, manipulation, or pressure without the recipient’s informed consent. Distinctions are often made between persuasive methods that respect autonomy and those that seek to coercively override it.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin persuasus, from persuasere, meaning to persuade or win over, built from per- “through” and suadere “to urge or advise.”

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